ID#: 1006957453
Type: Regular Full Time
Category: Clinical
Base Pay: $140000.00-$160000.00/ Year Salary
Department: Clinical Services
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer / Chief Nursing Officer
FLSA Status: Exempt
The Nurse Practitioner Clinical Preceptor serves as a full-time clinical educator embedded within Lowell Community Health Center’s outpatient primary care setting. This role is dedicated to the supervised onboarding, clinical training, and professional development of newly hired nurse practitioners transitioning into community health practice. The NP Preceptor practices clinically alongside new NP staff, ensuring high-quality patient care while providing structured, competency-based mentorship. This position is central to the Health Center’s workforce development strategy and its commitment to building a skilled, mission-aligned clinical team.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical Preceptorship & New Staff Onboarding
- Serves as the primary preceptor for newly hired NPs during their onboarding period, providing direct clinical supervision across the full scope of outpatient primary care
- Supervises learner-conducted patient encounters in real time, assuring that documentation and coding align with requirements.
- Establishes individualized onboarding plans with progressive autonomy benchmarks, competency milestones, and defined transition-to-independent-practice timelines
- Conducts structured, scheduled feedback sessions and formal competency evaluations at defined intervals throughout the onboarding period
- Identifies clinical knowledge or skill gaps early and develops targeted remediation plans in coordination with clinical leadership
- Review patient cases and documentation, providing timely and constructive feedback.
- Guide NPs in managing complex patients, including those with multiple chronic conditions, behavioral health needs, and social determinants of health challenges.
Clinical Oversight
- Observe and evaluate patient encounters to assess clinical competence and professional growth.
- Ensure safe, effective, and patient-centered care delivery.
- Assist new NPs in identifying appropriate consultation, referral, and escalation pathways.
- Monitor adherence to clinical quality measures, risk management standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Participate in chart reviews, documentation audits, and quality improvement initiatives
Clinical Education & Curriculum
- Develops and maintains a structured NP onboarding curriculum grounded in FQHC operations, chronic disease management, SDOH screening, behavioral health integration, and preventive care
- Facilitates case-based learning, clinical skills training, and orientation to Health Center protocols, standing orders, and EHR workflows
- Incorporates quality improvement frameworks (PDSA, Lean) into the onboarding experience
- Continuously refines the preceptorship program based on outcomes data and feedback from new hires and clinical leadership
Workforce Development & Leadership
- Partners with clinical and HR leadership to strengthen NP recruitment, onboarding, and retention
- Tracks and reports preceptorship metrics including onboarding duration, competency attainment, and new hire retention rates
- Contributes to clinical policy, protocol, and standing order development
- Participates in staff meetings, quality committees, practice councils and organizational initiatives as assigned
- Models a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice
Required
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN); Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) highly preferred
- Current NP licensure and certification (FNP, AGPCNP, or PNP preferred for primary care scope)
- Minimum 7 years of NP clinical experience in an inpatient and/or outpatient setting, with significant outpatient primary care experience
- At least 2 years in a community health, FQHC, or safety-net setting
- Prior experience mentoring or onboarding new clinical staff
- Current BLS certification
- Strong working knowledge of FQHC operations, UDS reporting, and value-based care models
Preferred
- Experience with collaborative care models (CoCM) and SDOH screening and intervention
- Familiarity with HRSA Health Center Program requirements and compliance expectations
- Clinical excellence and commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills across multidisciplinary teams
- Proficiency in adult learning principles with ability to tailor teaching to individual learner needs
- Sound judgment and adaptability in a fast-paced, resource-constrained community health environment
- Commitment to Lowell CHC’s mission of service to underserved populations
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Frequent standing and walking for up to 80% of the workday or shift.
- Some lifting, pushing or pulling required up to 30 pounds.
- Ability to see and distinguish color.
- Ability to perform CPR (chest compressions).
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Frequent contact with patients, families, visitors, nurses and other department staff.
- Occasional stress and pressure caused by multiple simultaneous demands.
- May be exposed to various infectious diseases. Universal precautions and techniques are included in orientation and the availability of protective wear is supported and encouraged when the employee is at risk for exposure.
